Season in Review
The Atlantic Sun was pretty much a two-horse race all season between Lipscomb, the tournament representative, and newcomer Liberty, who made the move from the Big South. There was actually a fair bit of conference realignment, as USC Upstate switched places with Liberty and left for the Big South, while North Alabama joined the A-Sun from the Division II ranks, and did pretty well for themselves, going 7-9 during conference play. Perennial power Florida Gulf Coast had a down season, although they ended up in fourth at 9-7 in the conference, but NJIT enjoyed one of the best seasons in school history, winning 20 regular season games for the first time ever. However, most eyeballs were on the Bisons (yes, Bisons) and the Flames throughout the season. They first made noise with upsets of high majors, Lipscomb beat TCU on the road, and Liberty got Steve Alford fired, and they were both 7-0 heading into a clash at Liberty on January 29. Lipscomb dominated the game start to finish and won 79-59, but the Flames would return the favor two weeks later winning in Nashville 74-66. Each team suffered one other loss in conference play, with the Bisons losing at FGCU and Liberty going down at North Florida. On the other end of the spectrum, Kennesaw State and Stetson continue to be the bottom dwellers of the conference. The Hatters are already eliminated, while the Owls are soon to follow, and their first round matchup with Lipscomb is almost certainly going to be the last game for coach Al Skinner, who the school announced would be stepping down after the season. It has overall been a good year for the A-Sun, as they currently sit at 21 in KenPom's conference rankings, the highest it has been since 2012, when Belmont and East Tennessee were members.
Bracket
Link
Contenders
Lipscomb (23-6, 14-2)
The Bisons followed up their first ever tournament appearance last season with an even better season this year. They won road games at SMU and TCU along with beating Vermont during an impressive non-conference schedule, and they held serve in the Atlantic Sun, going 14-2 and earning the top seed in the tournament, guaranteeing home court advantage for the entirety of the event. They have the best offense in the conference, largely thanks to a fast pace and some very talented players all over the court. They also shoot it very well, making 40.7% of their threes during A-Sun play, and 38% on the year, They are led by Garrison Mathews, a small forward who is capable of some incredible scoring performances, such as his 33 point outburst in the championship game last season. He led the conference in scoring with 19.8 points a game, actually down from the past two seasons, and he is the sixth best three point shooter in the conference, making 41.4% of his shots from deep. He is joined by forward Rob Marberry, who scored 14.6 points a game this season, top 10 in the conference, while shooting a conference high 60.6% from the field. Junior point guard Kenny Cooper provides table setting, with 3.9 assists a game, and good defense, getting 1.9 steals a game, both of which are second best in the A-Sun, while senior big Eli Pepper provides rebounding, grabbing 7.8 boards a game. The Bisons will be tough to beat thanks to their high level offense, along with a defense that also ranks as the best during conference play per KenPom. They might even have a case for an at-large bid if they lose in the conference tournament, but coach Casey Alexander won't want to leave it up to chance.
Liberty (25-6, 14-2)
In their first season in the Atlantic Sun, the Flames made noise, finishing tied atop the standings at 14-2 in addition to beating UCLA in Pauley Pavilion. They are probably best known for their pack line defense, and their style shouldn't be surprise considered their coach, Ritchie McKay, was an assistant to Tony Bennett at Virginia for 7 seasons. Like the Cavs, they play at a very slow pace, but they are still very efficient, and they have the twelfth best effective field goal percentage in the nation at 56.1%. They are top 10 in both two point percentage and free throw percentage, so they get a lot of easy buckets. Their opponents aren't so lucky, as their defense holds teams to shooting under 50% on the year. Both their offense and defense rank second in the conference per KenPom. They also have two of the best players in the Atlantic Sun in Scottie James and Caleb Homesley. The two forwards have been forces all year, and are top 12 in the conference in both points and rebounds per game. James is probably the better of the two, scoring 12.6 points a game to go along with 8.9 rebounds, although Homesley's 12.1 points and 5.4 rebounds are solid, both at twelfth in the conference, as are his 2.5 assists per game. They are surrounded by some knockdown shooters in George Pacheco-Ortiz, Elijah Cuffe, and Lovell Cabbil Jr, who are second, third, and fourth in three point percentage in the conference respectively, all shooting better than 42% from three on the season. The Flames, like the Virginia team they are modeled after, are ruthlessly efficient on both ends and will be tough to beat.
Sleeper Team
Florida Gulf Coast (14-17, 9-7)
The Eagles first made the national radar back in 2013 when they advanced to the Sweet Sixteen as a 15 seed, and since then they have consistently been one of the top teams in the A-Sun, making two more NCAA appearances, two NIT appearances, and a CIT trip. However, last offseason their coach, Joe Dooley, left for East Carolina and the team lost four starters, including star backcourt Brandon Goodwin and Zach Johnson, to graduation. This season has been nowhere near the recent run of success that FGCU has experienced recently, but there is reason for optimism. Despite starting the season slowly, they opened 5-13, the Eagles have played much better, going 9-4 down the stretch, including wins over North Florida and Lipscomb. They also beat South Dakota State during non-conference play, so they certainly have the ability to take down top teams. Additionally, their backcourt should terrify opposing teams, as Schadric Casimir and Zach Scott are two of the top scorers in the A-Sun. Both are newcomers, with Casimir transferring from Iona and Scott coming in as a freshman. Both rank in the top 10 in three point shooting in the conference, with Casimir leading the A-Sun at 47.7% and Scott making 39.6%, good for sixth in the conference. If those two lose their minds during the tournament, they might just make a run back to March Madness.
Players to Watch
Garrison Mathews
Stats: 19.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 44.9/41.3/84.7
I touched on Mathews earlier, but he has been a star in his four years at Lipscomb, and he has been the best player in the conference this season. He is a threat to go off in any game he plays in, and scored in double digits in every conference game this season. He had 31 in back to back games against Florida Gulf Coast and Stetson in late January, and a season high 32 two games ago versus NJIT. He is a massive threat from three point range, and he can heat up in an instant, jumping from 2 to 11 points on three possessions. He does a great job of moving without the ball and he is athletic enough to finish at the rim. Mathews is the first name on every team's scouting report, and yet he still was the A-Sun's leading scorer.
Scottie James
Stats: 12.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.5 BPG 61.6/36.4/70.5
A decidedly different type of threat than Mathews, Scottie James is one of the most effective big men in the country. He had 8 double doubles this season, and even when he can't get going offensively, he can still impact the game with his rebounding ability, such as his 8 point, 17 rebound performance in a victory over Georgia State. He has also gotten better as the season has gone on. It looked as if teams had figured him out, holding him to single digit points and rebounds for four straight games in conference play, the last being the Lipscomb loss, and he responded by averaging 14.2 points and 10.8 rebounds over his last eight games. He is bigger and stronger than most of the other forwards in the conference, which makes him nearly impossible to stop.
Zach Cooks
Stats: 17 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.2 APG, 2.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 45.7/34.6/72.2
The sophomore point guard had a standout season for the Highlanders, as you can see from his stats. He was the third leading scorer in the conference and led the Atlantic Sun in steals. He is also a shockingly good rebounder for someone who is 5'9", which allows him to stuff the stat sheet in a way you don't see too often at NJIT, like his 24 point, 13 rebound, 3 steal performance against Jacksonville recently. He isn't the best three point shooter either, which makes his success that much more surprising. He is the type of player that can win a team a game in the conference tournament, and his matchup against Casimir of FGCU in the first round should be incredibly entertaining.
My All Conference Teams
First Team
G: Zach Cooks, NJIT
G: Schadrac Casimir, FGCU
F: Garrison Mathews, Lipscomb
F: Rob Marberry, Lipscomb
F: Scottie James, LIberty
Second Team
G: Ivan Gandia-Rosa, North Florida
G: JD Notae, Jacksonville
F: Noah Horchler, North Florida
F: Caleb Homesley, Liberty
F: Abdul Lewis, NJIT
My Pick: Lipscomb over Liberty
I think the Bisons will once again make an appearance in March, presumably as a higher seed than the 15 they were last year. I think we will get the rubber match of the very entertaining Lipscomb-Liberty series from this year, and I like Lipscomb. For one, they have the best player in Garrison Mathews, and in a single elimination game, that is very important. They will also be at home, and despite losing to the Flames in the first matchup in Nashville, home court advantage is a big deal in this situation. I think they can control the pace and get Liberty running more than they want to. Finally, they have the size with Eli Pepper, Rob Marberry, Ahsan Asadullah and Matt Rose to effectively matchup with Scottie James and Caleb Homesley, even if they get into foul trouble, so I think the Bisons hold enough advantages to punch their ticket to March.
The Atlantic Sun was pretty much a two-horse race all season between Lipscomb, the tournament representative, and newcomer Liberty, who made the move from the Big South. There was actually a fair bit of conference realignment, as USC Upstate switched places with Liberty and left for the Big South, while North Alabama joined the A-Sun from the Division II ranks, and did pretty well for themselves, going 7-9 during conference play. Perennial power Florida Gulf Coast had a down season, although they ended up in fourth at 9-7 in the conference, but NJIT enjoyed one of the best seasons in school history, winning 20 regular season games for the first time ever. However, most eyeballs were on the Bisons (yes, Bisons) and the Flames throughout the season. They first made noise with upsets of high majors, Lipscomb beat TCU on the road, and Liberty got Steve Alford fired, and they were both 7-0 heading into a clash at Liberty on January 29. Lipscomb dominated the game start to finish and won 79-59, but the Flames would return the favor two weeks later winning in Nashville 74-66. Each team suffered one other loss in conference play, with the Bisons losing at FGCU and Liberty going down at North Florida. On the other end of the spectrum, Kennesaw State and Stetson continue to be the bottom dwellers of the conference. The Hatters are already eliminated, while the Owls are soon to follow, and their first round matchup with Lipscomb is almost certainly going to be the last game for coach Al Skinner, who the school announced would be stepping down after the season. It has overall been a good year for the A-Sun, as they currently sit at 21 in KenPom's conference rankings, the highest it has been since 2012, when Belmont and East Tennessee were members.
Bracket
Link
Contenders
Lipscomb (23-6, 14-2)
The Bisons followed up their first ever tournament appearance last season with an even better season this year. They won road games at SMU and TCU along with beating Vermont during an impressive non-conference schedule, and they held serve in the Atlantic Sun, going 14-2 and earning the top seed in the tournament, guaranteeing home court advantage for the entirety of the event. They have the best offense in the conference, largely thanks to a fast pace and some very talented players all over the court. They also shoot it very well, making 40.7% of their threes during A-Sun play, and 38% on the year, They are led by Garrison Mathews, a small forward who is capable of some incredible scoring performances, such as his 33 point outburst in the championship game last season. He led the conference in scoring with 19.8 points a game, actually down from the past two seasons, and he is the sixth best three point shooter in the conference, making 41.4% of his shots from deep. He is joined by forward Rob Marberry, who scored 14.6 points a game this season, top 10 in the conference, while shooting a conference high 60.6% from the field. Junior point guard Kenny Cooper provides table setting, with 3.9 assists a game, and good defense, getting 1.9 steals a game, both of which are second best in the A-Sun, while senior big Eli Pepper provides rebounding, grabbing 7.8 boards a game. The Bisons will be tough to beat thanks to their high level offense, along with a defense that also ranks as the best during conference play per KenPom. They might even have a case for an at-large bid if they lose in the conference tournament, but coach Casey Alexander won't want to leave it up to chance.
Liberty (25-6, 14-2)
In their first season in the Atlantic Sun, the Flames made noise, finishing tied atop the standings at 14-2 in addition to beating UCLA in Pauley Pavilion. They are probably best known for their pack line defense, and their style shouldn't be surprise considered their coach, Ritchie McKay, was an assistant to Tony Bennett at Virginia for 7 seasons. Like the Cavs, they play at a very slow pace, but they are still very efficient, and they have the twelfth best effective field goal percentage in the nation at 56.1%. They are top 10 in both two point percentage and free throw percentage, so they get a lot of easy buckets. Their opponents aren't so lucky, as their defense holds teams to shooting under 50% on the year. Both their offense and defense rank second in the conference per KenPom. They also have two of the best players in the Atlantic Sun in Scottie James and Caleb Homesley. The two forwards have been forces all year, and are top 12 in the conference in both points and rebounds per game. James is probably the better of the two, scoring 12.6 points a game to go along with 8.9 rebounds, although Homesley's 12.1 points and 5.4 rebounds are solid, both at twelfth in the conference, as are his 2.5 assists per game. They are surrounded by some knockdown shooters in George Pacheco-Ortiz, Elijah Cuffe, and Lovell Cabbil Jr, who are second, third, and fourth in three point percentage in the conference respectively, all shooting better than 42% from three on the season. The Flames, like the Virginia team they are modeled after, are ruthlessly efficient on both ends and will be tough to beat.
Sleeper Team
Florida Gulf Coast (14-17, 9-7)
The Eagles first made the national radar back in 2013 when they advanced to the Sweet Sixteen as a 15 seed, and since then they have consistently been one of the top teams in the A-Sun, making two more NCAA appearances, two NIT appearances, and a CIT trip. However, last offseason their coach, Joe Dooley, left for East Carolina and the team lost four starters, including star backcourt Brandon Goodwin and Zach Johnson, to graduation. This season has been nowhere near the recent run of success that FGCU has experienced recently, but there is reason for optimism. Despite starting the season slowly, they opened 5-13, the Eagles have played much better, going 9-4 down the stretch, including wins over North Florida and Lipscomb. They also beat South Dakota State during non-conference play, so they certainly have the ability to take down top teams. Additionally, their backcourt should terrify opposing teams, as Schadric Casimir and Zach Scott are two of the top scorers in the A-Sun. Both are newcomers, with Casimir transferring from Iona and Scott coming in as a freshman. Both rank in the top 10 in three point shooting in the conference, with Casimir leading the A-Sun at 47.7% and Scott making 39.6%, good for sixth in the conference. If those two lose their minds during the tournament, they might just make a run back to March Madness.
Players to Watch
Garrison Mathews
Stats: 19.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 44.9/41.3/84.7
I touched on Mathews earlier, but he has been a star in his four years at Lipscomb, and he has been the best player in the conference this season. He is a threat to go off in any game he plays in, and scored in double digits in every conference game this season. He had 31 in back to back games against Florida Gulf Coast and Stetson in late January, and a season high 32 two games ago versus NJIT. He is a massive threat from three point range, and he can heat up in an instant, jumping from 2 to 11 points on three possessions. He does a great job of moving without the ball and he is athletic enough to finish at the rim. Mathews is the first name on every team's scouting report, and yet he still was the A-Sun's leading scorer.
Scottie James
Stats: 12.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.5 BPG 61.6/36.4/70.5
A decidedly different type of threat than Mathews, Scottie James is one of the most effective big men in the country. He had 8 double doubles this season, and even when he can't get going offensively, he can still impact the game with his rebounding ability, such as his 8 point, 17 rebound performance in a victory over Georgia State. He has also gotten better as the season has gone on. It looked as if teams had figured him out, holding him to single digit points and rebounds for four straight games in conference play, the last being the Lipscomb loss, and he responded by averaging 14.2 points and 10.8 rebounds over his last eight games. He is bigger and stronger than most of the other forwards in the conference, which makes him nearly impossible to stop.
Zach Cooks
Stats: 17 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.2 APG, 2.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 45.7/34.6/72.2
The sophomore point guard had a standout season for the Highlanders, as you can see from his stats. He was the third leading scorer in the conference and led the Atlantic Sun in steals. He is also a shockingly good rebounder for someone who is 5'9", which allows him to stuff the stat sheet in a way you don't see too often at NJIT, like his 24 point, 13 rebound, 3 steal performance against Jacksonville recently. He isn't the best three point shooter either, which makes his success that much more surprising. He is the type of player that can win a team a game in the conference tournament, and his matchup against Casimir of FGCU in the first round should be incredibly entertaining.
My All Conference Teams
First Team
G: Zach Cooks, NJIT
G: Schadrac Casimir, FGCU
F: Garrison Mathews, Lipscomb
F: Rob Marberry, Lipscomb
F: Scottie James, LIberty
Second Team
G: Ivan Gandia-Rosa, North Florida
G: JD Notae, Jacksonville
F: Noah Horchler, North Florida
F: Caleb Homesley, Liberty
F: Abdul Lewis, NJIT
My Pick: Lipscomb over Liberty
I think the Bisons will once again make an appearance in March, presumably as a higher seed than the 15 they were last year. I think we will get the rubber match of the very entertaining Lipscomb-Liberty series from this year, and I like Lipscomb. For one, they have the best player in Garrison Mathews, and in a single elimination game, that is very important. They will also be at home, and despite losing to the Flames in the first matchup in Nashville, home court advantage is a big deal in this situation. I think they can control the pace and get Liberty running more than they want to. Finally, they have the size with Eli Pepper, Rob Marberry, Ahsan Asadullah and Matt Rose to effectively matchup with Scottie James and Caleb Homesley, even if they get into foul trouble, so I think the Bisons hold enough advantages to punch their ticket to March.
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